Hoist-line fair-lead



June 24, 1930. WN 1,767,735

HOIST LINE FAIR LEAD Filed Jan. 21. 1928 2 sheets-shget 1 IN VEN TOR.

f m M ATTORNEY.

June 24, 1930. F. E. BROWN HOIST LINE FAIR LEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJan. 21, 1928 INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented June 24, I930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK E. BROWN, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO HARNISCHFEGER COR- PORATION, OFMILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN YHOIST-LINE run-LEADApplication filed January 21, 1928.

This invention relates to a fair lead especially designed for use withthe hoist lines of back fillers or similar excavating machines otherthan the full revolving type.

As is well known, back fillers comprise a frame mounted on suitablerunning gear such as motor driven self-laying tracks. On the frame, aboom is mounted for vertical as well as horizontal swinging movement,

ower means being provided on the frame or controlling the horizontal andvertical adjustments and positions of the boom. The boom carries a dragline scraper b means of a hoist line extending out over t e boom anddown to the scraper and a drag line or hauling line extendlng from thescraper inwardly under the boom, both lines being controlled by suitablemotor driven drums mounted on the frame of the back filler and to whichthey are connected. As the boom swings vertically and horizontally orlaterally, the lead or angle of the hoist line from the machine out tothe outer and upper end of the boom changes. It has been the practiceand it is practically a necessit to provide guide means on the frame 0the machine for the hoist line at a point where it leaves the frame "andtravels out over the boom. This guide means in its most practical andsuccessful form consists of guide rollers between which the hoist lineextends.

In order to obtain the proper iding action and to minimize wear on themist line, the axes of the guide rollers should always be substantiallyat right angles to the hoist line. It is diflicult to maintain thisrelation between the hoist line and the guide rollers because of theswinging movementsof the boom.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provideguide means or the so-called fair lead for the hoist line of a backfiller which is-readily adjustable to maintain the guide rollers of thefair lead at right angles to the hoist line, thus providing for propercontrol of the hoist line and minimum wear thereon. I

Another object is to provide a fair lead of this character which iseffective to guide the hoist line and properly deflect the same SerialNo. 248,288.

both vertically and horizontally and which is of simple and durableconstruction, reliable in operation and easy and comparativelyinexpensive to manufacture and apply- In carrymg out the presentlnventlon a fair lead for a hoist line of a back filler is providedwhich consists of a main frame or bracket secured to the A-frame of theback filler and carrying a pair of horizontally disposed guide rollers.In advance of these guide rollers an adjustable frame is mounted on themain frame for tilting or swinging movement and carries a plurality ofsocalled vertical guide rollers. Oo-oper ating means is provided betweenthe main frame and the swinging frame for securing the swinging ortilting frame in any one of a plurality of adjustments. When the tiltingframe is adjusted the position or angle of the rollers carried thereonis varied. The hoist line extends between the horizontal rollers andalso between two of the vertical rollers of the tilting frame; and thevertical rollers are adjusted to follow the working angles of the hoistline. In other words, the vertical rollers may always be maintainedsubstantially at right angles to the hoist line. By providing threevertical rollers the fair lead is also adapted for use with a clam shellbucket.

Other objects and advantages reside in certain novel features of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation illustrating how the hoistline fair lead is applied to the back filler;

Figure 2 is a view of a hoist line fair lead in side elevation;

Figure 3 is a view artly in front elevation and partly in section; and

back filler equipped as usual with the conventional A-frame 2. A boom 3is provided and is su ported on the main frame for vertical anhorizontal swinging movement. 5 The Vertical swinging movement of theboom is controlled by hoisting. tackle 4 of well-known cohstruction. Thedrag line scraper, designated at 5, is carried at the .lower end of thehoist line 6 which runs up over a pulley 7 at the outer end of the boomand then back throu h the hoist line fair lead 8 constituting t epresent inventlon, after which it passes on to the usual power drivendrum on the main frame. A drag 1 line or hauling line 10 is alsoconnected with the scraper 5 1n the usual manner and passes from thescraper back to its ower driven drum under the control of a rag linefair lead 11 forming the subject matter of a oopending application ofRobert L. Brown, Serial N 0. 248,287, filed January 21, 1928.

The hoist line fair lead constituting the present invention comprises asuitable main frame or bracket which may consist of side plates 15bolted orotherwise suitably secured to a cross member 16 riveted orotherwise appropriately fastened to the A-frame 2. Onthe lower portionsof the bracket plates 15 a pair of horizontal guide rollers 17 are aorotatably mounted. Each guide roller 17 includes a shaft or axis 18extending between and fixed to the side plates 15 and on which a rollerbody 19 is mounted for free rotation by means of 'ball bearings 20.

In advance of horizontal rollers 17 a tiltable frame designated generallat 25 is provided, the tiltable frame inc uding side members 26 andupper and lower cross members 27. The side members 26 are provided withopposed and aligned bearing openings 28 which receive trunnions of studs29 supported on the plates 15. As shown in Figure 3 these trunnions 29may consist of short studs or bolts threadedl connected as at 30 withthe side lates and held in adjustment by virtue of t e frictionalengagement of their heads 31 with suitable washers 32. The ortions ofthese studs which fit in the o emngs 28 are round and smooth to permitof free tiltin of the frame 25. A plurality, preferably t ree, uprightor vertical rollers 35 are mounted for free rotation on the tiltableframe 25. While these rollers 35 are frequently positioned at" more orless of an angle to the vertical, they are referred to in the industryas vertical rollers and the will be so termed in thisspecifi'cation witthe understanding that they are usually somewhat angled to the vertical.Each of these 11 rollers includes a shaft or axis 36 fixedly secured toand supported on the upper and lower cross members 27 of the tiltingframe and a roller bodiyt 37 supported for free rotation on the sha 36 bvirtue of the interpositioning of the bal bearing assemblies 38 betweenthe roller bodies and theshafts 36. The roller bearing assemblies engageshouldered portions 36 of the shaft 36 to prevent endwise displacementof the roller bodies 37 in either direction. Outside of the rollerbearing assemblies dust excluding devices are provided and includesleeves 40 loosely mounted on the reduced ends of the shaft 36 and feltwashers 41 fitted in internal recesses provided in the ends of theroller bodies and extending to and engaging the loose sleeves 40.

Means is provided for releasably holding the tilting frame 25 in any oneof a plurality of angular positions or adjustments. This means consistsof a lock rod 45 adapted to be inserted through the apertures of ears orlugs 46 provided on the tiltin frame 25 and through any one of a num erof opposed sets of apertures 47 provided in the side plates 15 ofthefixed frame. As clearly shown in Figure 2, the apertures 47 are arrangedin arcuate series with respect to the axis or rotation of. the tiltingframe so that the apertured ears or lugs 46 of the tilting frame may bebrought into alignment with any set of aligned openings 47 when the lockrod is removed. When the lock rod is inserted through the alignedopenings 47 and the ali ned ears or lugs 46' it holds the tiltmg framein adjusted position. .A cotterpin 48 may be provided to prevent endwisedisplacement of the lock rod 45 in one direction. An appreciable endwisedisplacement of the loc rod 45 in an opposite direction is prevented byangularly bent end 50 thereof which also serdves to facilitatemanipulation of the lock ro -The hoist line 6 extends in between thehorizontal rollers 17 and in between two of the vertical rollers 35. Inorder to revent the lines or cables passing through t e rollers 35 fromdropping down below the lower edge of the rollers. 35 in an adjustmentof the boom the lower ends 0 the side members 26 of the frame haveoutward extensions carrying a cross rod 56 on which a sleeve 57 isloosely mounted. Thus. when a line or cable tends to drop down below thelower ends of the rollers 35 it is engaged 'by the sleeve 57 and heldagainst further downward movement thereby so as to be thus constrainedto run between the lower portions of the rollers 35.

With this construction, whenever the boom is raised or lowered, thetilting frame 25 may be tilted or swung in one direction or the otherabout its trunnions 29 to position the rollers 35 at right angles to theworking angle or the direction in which the hoist 'line 6 extends. Thelock rod 45 is readily removable to prompt this adjustment of thetilting frame and when inserted serves to maintain the tilting frame inthe selected adjustment.

By providing both horizontal and vertical rollers the deflection of thecable either horizontally or verticall is controlled by the rollers 17and 35 an sharp bending of the cable is avoided and wear thereof isminimized.

While adapted for advantageous use with backfillers, the-fair lead isnot restricted to this particular application, but may be used 'toadvantage with various excavating machines except those of the fullrevolving type. V

The invention claimed is 1. A hoist line fair lead for use with anexcavating machine having the usual hoist line and a vertically andlaterally swingable boom with which the hoist line coacts and comprisinga number of rollers engageable with the hoist line, mounting meanssupporting the rollers for rotation and for bodily tilting movementabout a horizontal axis, and means for releasably securing the mountingmeans in various adjustments whereby the rollers may be maintainedsubstantially at right angles to the line when the boom is adjusted upand down.

2; A hoist line fair lead for use with an excavating machine'having theusual hoist line and a swingable boom with which the hoist linec'o-acts, and comprising a fixed frame, a tiltable frame mounted on thefixed frame, means for releasably securing the tilting frame in any oneof a plurality of adjustments, and guide rollers rotatably supported onthe tiltable frame and engaging the hoist line.

3. A hoist line fair lead for use with an excavating machine having theusual hoist line and a swingable boom with which the .hoist lineco-acts, and comprising a fixed frame, horizontal rollers mounted on thefixed frame and engaging the hoist line, a tiltable frame mounted on thefixed frame, means for releasably securing the tilting frame in any oneof a plurality of adjust-1 ments, and guide rollers rotatably supportedpn the tiltable frame andengagingthe hoist 4. A host line fair lead foruse with an excavating machine having the usual hoist line and aco-operable boom swingable up and down and laterally, and comprising afixed frame, a tiltable frame mounted onthe fixed frame, means forreleasably securin the tilting frame in any one of a plurality ofadjustments, guide rollers rotatably supported on the tiltable frame,and means on the tiltable frame for preventing the hoist line fromdropping down below the guide rollers.

5. A'hoist line fair lead for use with an excavating machine having theusual hoist line and a co-operable boom mounted for up and down andlateral movement, and comprising a pair of horizontal rollers mountedfor rotation about a fixed axis and between which the hoist lineextends, a plurality of upright rollers co-operable with the hoist lineand means for supporting the upright rollers for tilting movementwhereby they may be adjusted to maintain them at the proper angle to thehoist line when the boom is moved up or down.

6. A hoist line fair lead for use with an excavating machine having theusual hoist line and a co-operable boom mounted for up and down andlateral swinging movement, and comprising a fixed frame, a tiltableframe, means for co-acting with the frame for supporting the tiltableframe on the fixed frame for tilting movement, said tilt- 7 ing frameincluding cross members, rollers supported on the cross members for freerotation, and means for securing the tilting frame in any one of aplurality of angular adjustments.

7. A hoist line fair lead for use with an excavating machine having theusual hoistline and a co-operable boom mounted for up and down andlateral swinging movement, and comprising a fixed frame, a tiltableframe mounted on the fixed frame and including cross members, rollerssupported on the cross members for free rotation and engaged with thehoist line, said fixed frame havinga series of apertures, said tiltableframe having an aperture adapted to be aligned selectively withapertures of the fixed frame, and a releasable lock element co-operablewith the aligned apertures for holding the tiltable frame in any one ofa number of angular adjustments.

8. A fair lead of the character described comprising a fixed frame, anadjustable frame pivotally mounted on the fixed frame, means forsecuring the adjustable frame in any of its adjustments, and guide meansmounted on the adjustable frame. 1

9. A fair'lead for cable lines comprising a fixed frame, horizontalguide rollers thereon engageable with the cable line, an ad- ,justableframe mounted on the fixed frame,

means for securing the adjustable frame in any of its adjustments andupright rollers mounted on the adjustable frame and engageable with thecable lines.

10. A fair lead for cable lines comprising a fixed frame, horizontalguide rollers thereon engageable with the cable lines, anad- I justableframe mounted on the fixed frame, means for securing the adjustableframe in any of its adjustments, upright rollers mounted on theadjustable frame and engageable with the cable lines, and means forpreventing the lines from being dlsplaced beyond the ends of the uprightrollers.

11. A fair lead of the character described comprising a fixed frame, anadjustable frame including side members and cross members, trunnionsco-operable with the fixed frame and with the side members forsupporting the adjustable frame on the fixed frame, means for securingthe adjustable frame in any one of a number of positions, and rollersmounted on the cross members of the adjustable frame.

In witness whereof, 1, hereto aflix my signature.

FRANK E. BROWN.

